Kept Home by COVID-19, U.S. Politics Goes Virtual With Digital Dance Parties and Avatars

When stay-at-home orders sparked by the coronavirus forced him to find new ways to reach young voters ahead of the November U.S. election, Felix Clarke turned to an online computer game.

The New Hampshire college student logged in to Minecraft, dressed his avatar in the blue T-shirt worn by canvassers for NextGen America, the progressive group for which he works, and strolled virtually up to other players, making his pitch.

“I pretty much used the same conversation starters I’d use in-person talking to other students at Plymouth State,” Clarke said via a NextGen spokeswoman. “We talked in-game mostly about how to vote, why as the largest chunk of eligible voters it is so important that young people make their voices heard.”

Political groups large and small have turned to digital campaigning amid the social distancing restrictions affecting almost all Americans, using texts, social media and video chat to carve out a new form of organizing as the U.S. presidential election looms.

The election pits Republican Donald Trump against presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden in a campaign taking place against the all-consuming backdrop of the pandemic.

Republican organizers switched from holding packed, raucous rallies to setting up livestreams and social media events with just 24-hours notice, said Trump campaign spokesman Ken Farnaso. About 1,000 staff and hundreds of thousands of volunteers have switched to digital outreach, he said, while others make voice calls from their homes instead of crowded phone banks.

“We are hosting virtual events, training members of the Trump Neighborhood Teams online, activating the massive volunteer network to make calls on behalf of the President, and continuing our efforts to register voters online,” Farnaso said in an email.

Biden’s campaign built a studio in the candidate’s home in Delaware, where the former vice president streams podcasts and town halls, and makes television news appearances.

Organizers recruit volunteers via text messages, and hold conference calls and video chats with voters led by such backers as strategist Symone Sanders, said Biden spokesman Vedant Patel.